The transmission of data using optical waveguides is already known in a large number of applications. Optical waveguides have the advantages, by comparison with the conventional copper conductors, that they permit transmission of the highest data rates with the highest ranges to a large extent free of losses, and that even if the optical waveguide is damaged there is no risk of forming a spark. This makes the use of optical waveguides in the transmission of data in environments which are threatened by fire and explosion particularly advantageous.
The considerations above have led to attempts to use optical waveguides for connecting cables for control units even in underground mining, for example for powered support controllers for self-advancing extraction, which are connected to one another in order to control the moving forward of the individual powered supports which are located alongside one another, in the desired manner. However, in order to be able to connect such optical waveguide cables to the available control units, these had generally to be retrofitted with the optoelectric transducers which are necessary for this, to which transducers the connecting elements of the optical waveguides could then be coupled. The main disadvantage of the known optical waveguide cables is, however, that they are extremely susceptible to the dust which is present to a great extent in underground mining and which can penetrate into the optoelectric transducers and contaminate the light entry or exit surfaces of the optical waveguides, with the result that reliable data transmission is no longer ensured. For this reason, optical waveguides have not become widespread for the transmission of data in severely dusty atmospheres.